Doobie Brothers’ Copyright Infringement Claim Gets a Response from Bill Murray’s Golf Company
William Murray Golf used the band's 1972 hit ‘Listen To The Music’ without permission
A humorous letter for copyright infringement is doing rounds on the internet. The letter was written by Doobie Brothers’ attorney Peter T. Paterno. The band has claimed that Bill Murray’s golf apparel brand used its 1972 hit ‘Listen To The Music’ in a TV advert for a new shirt without permission.
Mr Patarno takes a humorous jibe at William Murray Golf company
In his letter, the attorney writes, “The Doobie Brothers performed and recorded the song 'Listen to the Music'. Tom Johnston of the Dobbie Brothers is credited for penning down the lyrics of the superhit song. Mr Paterno takes a witty jibe to get his point across.
“It’s a fine song. I know you agree because you keep using it in ads for your Zero Hucks Given golf shirts. However, given that you haven’t paid to use it, maybe you should change the name to ‘Zero Bucks Given’.”
Mr Patarno reminded the golf brand that using music without paying for it is not allowed with subtle humour.
“This is the part where I’m supposed to cite the United States Copyright Act, excoriate you for not complying with some subparagraph that I’m too lazy to look up and threaten you with eternal damnation for doing so. But you already earned that with those Garfield movies. And you already know you can’t use music in ads without paying for it", he said.
Bill Murray’s lawyer responded to the letter in his own way
Mr Alexander Yoffe of the Yoffe & Cooper law firm appreciated Mr Patarno for using humour to make his point. He said, “First I would like to compliment you on finding levity in the law at a time when the world and this country certainly could use a laugh”.
He further said that both the law firm's employees and William Murray Golf were fans of the Doobie Brothers. He expressed his admiration of the band by quoting the band’s own songs, and said that was why “we appreciate your firm’s choice of ‘Takin’ It To The Streets’, rather than to the courts, which are already overburdened ‘Minute By Minute’ with real problems”.
Adverts did not harm Dobbie Brothers, claims Alexander Yoffe
Mr Yoffe asserted that the Doobie Brothers had not been “harmed” by the adverts. Quoting his client's words, he suggested the group to relax. “In the immortal words of Mr Murray – the more relaxed you are, the better you are at everything,” he wrote. “So let’s pour one up and unwind with a listen of the recently-released ‘Quadio’ box set and plan to cross paths at a Doobie Brothers’ 50th-anniversary show in 2021 when some level of normalcy resumes".
In the letter Yoffe offered to send William Murray Golf shirts to the band – a gesture he hoped would “win each of you over as new fans of the brand… At least that’s ‘what this fool believes’.”
